The Revelling Bard
he/him
5.0
(7)
Timezone
Identity
About The Revelling Bard
My name is Eric (he/him), yet another forever Storyteller who had their first roleplay experience with Vampire: The Masquerade and D&D 3.5 back in the early 2000's. Not long after, I ran my first of many games ever; Star Wars D20. Years later, I gained the reputation as the friend who could whip up a game session from nothing in 15 minutes. This led to some long-running campaigns of my Legend of Zelda (technically still going 19 years later) and my custom-made multiverse game Zoridock (of which I have a campaign which has concluded). I tend to run character driven campaigns that focus on heavy roleplay and narrative threads rather than combat, though I don't shy away from anyone deciding to take the heavy-handed approach. Come help create a collaborative story, one that we'll all look back on with fond memories, and more than a few epic tales to regale other players of. Who's ready for an adventure?
At a glance
3 years on StartPlaying
255 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, World Builder, Storytelling
Average response time: 24+ hours
Response rate: 100%
Featured Prompts
When I'm not running games I'm...
Catering to every wish of my two dogs Khaavren and Garmr, planning/prepping yet another campaign I want to run, or playing around with the 3D modelling software Blender for various game and non-game related projects.
My favorite books are
The entire Vlad Taltos book series by Stephen Brust, the Necroscope series by Brian Lumley (which inspired my Second-Sight game), and the Star Wars series Wraith Squadron by Aaron Allston (always makes me cry).
My favorite shows/movies are
The Fifth Element (which may have inspired how I run NPCs), The Expanse (I'll always marathon that wonderful series), and Firefly/Serenity. I admit, there might be a theme to my tastes...
How The Revelling Bard runs games
------------------------------------------------------------------ TL;DR version: Fun story over game mechanics Character-driven dynamic sandbox Devil-in-the-details story Player agency over plot ------------------------------------------------------------------ The long version: I believe in the Golden Rule that supersedes all other rules: Have fun. Apart from that, I tend to favor story over the rules as written. That being said, I try to stay consistent with what rulings I make. This is why I consider myself a Storyteller instead of a Dungeon Master or Game Master. I don't adhere to the traditional aspect of acts and story arcs, preferring to use themes and genre blending to support the character driven sandbox world that I populate with as realistic and outrageous npcs as I can. Player agency is one of the most important aspects to me as a GM, so players should have the complete freedom to do anything they wish. Though this isn't without consequence, and indeed I endeavor to make the world as dynamic as possible. The choices the player characters make influences what actions and reactions the npcs take behind the scenes, sometimes even setting up long-spanning situations down the road based on even the most minor of decisions the characters make in the first few handfuls of sessions. Another phrase I agree with completely considering campaigns is "The devil's in the details." As such, I tend to keep the action going in real-time with as minimal time-jumps as possible. Think of it like playing Skyrim and traveling from point A to point B on foot rather than via fast travel. Sure, it takes far more time to get there, but you don't miss out on all of the stories, encounters, and mysteries along the way that may make the experience one that you never would have expected. While I don't favor combat, I also don't avoid it. I encourage players to think outside of the box to find ways around obstacles, though I also encourage character consistency. If a martially trained character would naturally take on a situation head-on in combat, I won't intervene and tell them to try another way. When dealing with house rule situations both before and during a session, I like to involve everyone at the table in the decision making process for each ruling. These rulings take effect only if everyone is happy with the resolution; though keep in mind that the new rules also applies to the npcs as well. At the end of the day, the only thing I really try to make sure is that everyone had a fun game, and that my players look forward to the next one.
Featured Prompts
My games focus on...
Character specific plot, story, and consequences. Agency is the best ingredient for a reactive and dynamic world, and entire campaigns have shifted into surprising directions due to the actions my players have had.
Rules are...
Like the Pirate Code, they are more like guidelines that are set aside for matters of story. Rules are helpful, but the Rule of Cool and dramatic moments will override them when it is appropriate, but in a consistent and logical way.
If my games were Movies they'd be directed by...
Luc Besson and Sam Raimi, if I'm being honest. I reign in the goofiest parts of their styles, but the off-the-wall action, the awkward silliness of my NPCs, and focus on the environment being just as much a character matches too well with both of their directing styles.
The Revelling Bard's ideal table
I like to keep a laid-back, fun, and collaborative atmosphere at the table. It's not my story we're exploring, it's all of ours; I consider myself just as much a player as everyone else (sans the cursed and dreaded DMPC). I always like to give everyone at the table the reins to the story direction, and the freedom to add to the setting and lore to make the world theirs.
Featured Prompts
I think metagaming...
has its place at the beginning of the story with lining up character goals, motivations, and general backstory for ease of introductions. Beyond that, it can lead to disruptions in story and ruin immersion at the table for the most part.
I love it when a player
Surprises me. In fact, I always hope for that. Keeping me on my toes ramps up my energy and gets me into the mindset of "Let's see where this goes from here." or "I wonder how this will work. Let's find out!"
If you're into ___, you're going to love my table
Slow-paced, devil-in-the-details, character motivation focused story with player consequences leading to new twists and turns
The Revelling Bard's Preferences
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Game Mechanics
Themes